Hiring in the Indian IT sector has contracted for the first time in over 25 years. The workforce in the top 10 IT companies in India fell by 51,744 people in the July-September quarter, with nine out of 10 companies witnessing reduced hiring amid spending cuts and geopolitical risks. This decline may mark the first instance of IT firms ending a financial year with fewer employees than the beginning. L&T Technology Services is an exception, having added 32 people, while other major players like TCS, Infosys, HCL, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and Persistent experienced a reduction in headcount. The total job losses amount to 51,744.